As I spend more time researching the Syrian refugee crisis I am reminded of how fortunate I am. And it has nothing to do with how hard I’ve worked or anything I’ve done to deserve it. It is purely luck of where I was born. Nothing else. Because to see the price that hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people are willing to pay to have a safe, secure life is hard to comprehend.
This video helps highlight it.
As some refugees potentially prepare to be relocated to Australia, how will we support them when they arrive? What will we do if we are their teacher? I think it’s important we start with their stories that they are able to share. Stories such as this.
Educator Hotspot 
Kayri, the video is real evidence of the desperation faced by these people. I have had discussions around the dinner table with my children about how lucky we are simply because we were born in Australia. Our struggles hardly seem worth mentioning when we see what is happening to these innocent people. As teachers, there is a high probability that we may also need to support children that have lost many loved ones. I think that education for these children must be in the form of holistic education.
LikeLike
Absolutely. It is heart wrenching to see the “choices” so many are faced with – a father holding his newborn trying to convince the journalist (and perhaps himself?) that the life vests and inflatable tubes will be sufficient to protect his family as they struggle to find safety.
Education may seem a distant thought as many face life-or-death decisions daily. But, is it maybe that education is desperately needed for both refugees and on a larger, worldwide scale to start truly educating global citizens in an effort to avoid tragedies such as this?
LikeLike
I was astounded to see people are selling so-called ‘life jackets’ that are just fabric stuffed with grass! That’s criminal.
There is at least one kind of happy ending story from The John Oliver Show (“Last Week Tonight”) – I just wish there were more. This 16-yo girl with disabilities learned English by watching Days of Our Lives.
Never underestimate the ways and means kids will find to learn. Our job is to facilitate it, even if it means watching the soaps. 🙂
I hope this link works. It’s a very short video.
LikeLike